CH 67.1

Ji Xinxin felt a sliver of unease the last time she returned to the country, but she was still confident that most things were in her grasp. 

However, her recent decision to participate in the exchange program to her homeland was made on a spur, such that she had to rush the administrative procedures to make it on time. She ended up tiring herself out. 

Shortly after she boarded the plane with the other exchange students, she fell asleep in her seat. 

The young man seated beside her softly asked an air stewardess for a blanket, which he then placed over Ji Xinxin. 

Transcontinental flights tend to fly at higher altitudes, so it wasn’t uncommon for the cabin to get chilly. 

One of the nearby students nudged the young man and said, “Liam, we’re heading to Xin’s hometown. You might just get to meet her parents if she invites us over to her house.”

Liam glared at the student and said, “Shh. She’s exhausted from rushing out the administrative procedures for this exchange. Let her rest.”

“Alright, alright. The two of you are living under the same roof; I wouldn’t know better than you whether she’s tired or not. Hahahaha!”

There was no way a bunch of youths seated together would quieten down that easily. The nearby students curiously peered at Liam and Ji Xinxin and nodded in realization. 

Liam decided to ignore them. He hesitated for a brief moment before gently placing Ji Xinxin’s head against his shoulder. He took out a book he had been carrying with him and began reading it. 

Ji Xinxin only woke up halfway through the flight. She rubbed her sore neck before turning toward Liam with an apologetic smile. “How long was I asleep for? Sorry. You weren’t able to eat because of me, right?

“Don’t worry about it,” replied Liam calmly. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m alright. I can’t get used to in-flight meals. The university should have lunch prepared for us when the plane lands. If not, I can bring all of you to Lakeside University’s canteen. I’ve eaten there for four years now, so I have a strong attachment to it.” Ji Xinxin looked at Liam with gentle eyes. “I’ll show you my secret go-to restaurants.”

Liam gently tidied up Ji Xinxin’s messy hair, an action that looked both natural and intimate. “Alright. I’d be happy to try everything you’re fond of.”

Ji Xinxin looked at her and softly muttered, “Luckily you’re still around.”

“What?” Liam couldn’t hear those words clearly. 

“I said, now that you’re in a foreign land and can’t speak Mandarin, you should avoid wandering around when I’m not around,” Ji Xinxin poked Liam’s shoulder as she instructed.

She couldn’t risk Liam meeting Ji Fanyin. 

Liam was from a fairly affluent family, and Ji Fanyin appeared to be in urgent need of money for some reason. It was completely possible for her to make a move on him.

Ji Xinxin had built up many close connections over the years, be it friends, teachers, or elders, and she wasn’t worried about Ji Fanyin approaching them. However, it was a different story for her quarries. She kept those quarries on her hook by maintaining a delicate balance of her attention, so she couldn’t allow Ji Fanyin to approach them and satisfy their needs for money. 

That was why she decided to focus her effort on those she had a romantic relationship with. 

She looked at the receding background outside the plane window and took in a deep breath.

If I lose this battle, I might lose it all. 

What was at stake here wasn’t just her quarries. More than keeping her quarries, she wanted to prove herself. 

She wanted to prove that she could defeat the current Ji Fanyin just like how she trampled all over the old ‘Ji Fanyin’. She might have decided her path out of distorted admiration for the current Ji Fanyin, but she wasn’t about to live in the shadows of her past.

I won’t lose to anyone, not even to the Ji Fanyin of my dreams.